Gulf stream, how did it start?

Answer 1

A river of sea water, called the Atlantic North Equatorial Current, flows westward off the coast of northern Africa. When this current interacts with the northeastern coast of South America, the current forks into two branches. One passes into the Caribbean Sea, while a second, the Antilles Current, flows north and east of the West Indies. These two branches rejoin north of the Straits of Florida, as shown on the accompanying map.

Consequently, the resulting Gulf Stream is a strong ocean current, transporting about 1.4 petawatts of heat, equivalent to the output of 1 million power stations and 100 times the world energy demand.[3] It transports water at a rate of 30 million cubic meters per second (30 sverdrups) through the Florida Straits. After it passes Cape Hatteras, this rate increases to 80 million cubic meters per second. The volume of the Gulf Stream dwarfs all rivers that empty into the Atlantic combined, which barely total 0.6 million cubic meters per second. It is weaker, however, than the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

Typically, the Gulf Stream is 80–150 km wide and 800–1200 m deep. The current velocity is fastest near the surface, with the maximum speed typically about 2 m/s.[4]

As it travels north, the warm water transported by the Gulf Stream undergoes two processes, evaporative cooling and brine exclusion. The first of these processes is wind driven: wind moving over the water cools it and also causes evaporation, leaving a saltier brine. In this process, the water increases in salinity and density, and decreases in temperature. The second process involves the formation of sea ice, which likewise increases the salinity of the brine solution and, thereby, decreases its freezing point. These two processes produce water that is denser and colder (or, more exactly, water that is still liquid at a lower temperature). In the North Atlantic Ocean, the water becomes so cold and dense that it begins to sink down through warmer, less salty and less dense water. (The convective action is not unlike that of a lava lamp.) This downdraft of heavy, cold and dense water becomes a part of the North Atlantic Deep Water, a southgoing stream.

Answer 2

Dense frigid sea water at the north and south poles submerges and flows to the equator where it rises to be heated and flow back to the poles. The round trip takes at least a hundred years. The water at the bottom of the ocean (even at the equator) is near the freezing point. The Gulf Stream is one of the ocean currents that return heated water to to north pole to replace frigid water that has submerged. The ocean currents and wind systems help redistribute the immense solar energy received at the equator.

Answer 3

Without it Britain would be like Russia, very cold.

Answer 4

Its `Conyer` I think.